1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a resin clip which is fitted into an attachment hole of a panel to be put on an automobile or the like, the resin clip being used for fixing a hose or a wire harness to a panel or for joining panels together. Specifically, the present invention relates to a resin clip designed as adaptable to a panel when a board thickness of the panel is varied within a certain range.
2. Description of the Related Art
On a panel constituting a body or an interior of an automobile, provided is an attachment hole for fixing various parts such as a hose or a wire harness thereto or for joining panels together. Then, a resin clip is fitted into this attachment hole, whereby the various parts are attached or the panels are joined together through this resin clip.
The above-described resin clip generally includes a head of a flange shape for abutting on one surface of a panel, a pillar extending from the center of one surface of this head, and a pair of elastic legs folded back from a tip portion of this pillar toward the head so as to spread and extend in a V shape. On an outer surface of each elastic leg, formed are locking parts of stepped shapes for engagement with an aperture edge of the attachment hole.
Moreover, when the pillar and the elastic legs are inserted into the attachment hole from the tip side thereof, the elastic legs pass through the attachment hole in mid-course by flexing themselves inward. When the head abuts on one surface of the panel, the locking parts of the elastic legs are engaged with the aperture edge on the other surface of the panel. Accordingly, the aperture edge of the attachment hole of the panel is sandwiched and supported between the head and the locking parts of the elastic legs, whereby the resin clip is fitted into the attachment hole.
In this case, as shown in Japanese Patent No. 2818138, for example, also known is a resin clip in which the locking parts of stepped shapes are provided in pluralities on outer surfaces of the elastic legs so as to adapt to a panel if a board thickness thereof is varied. According to this patent, the locking part provided on a tip side of the elastic leg is engaged with an aperture edge of a panel in case that the panel is thin, and the locking part provided on a base end side of the elastic leg is engaged with an aperture edge of a panel in case that the panel is thick. In this way, it is possible to adopt and fit the same clip onto a plurality of panels with various board thicknesses.
However, in the resin clip as shown in Japanese Patent No. 2818138 which are made adaptable to the plurality of panels with various board thicknesses, it is necessary to thicken the elastic legs because the locking parts in shapes of multiple steps are provided on the outer surfaces of the elastic legs. As a result, the elastic legs become more difficult to be contracted in diameter because of interference with the pillar when the elastic legs are flexed inward. Accordingly, there has been a problem that the above-described resin clip is not applicable when an attachment hole of a panel has a small inside diameter.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a resin clip which is made adaptable to a plurality of panels with various board thicknesses and applicable when an attachment hole of a panel is relatively small.
In order to achieve the foregoing object, a first aspect of the present invention is a resin clip to be fitted into an attachment hole provided on a panel, which includes a head to be engaged with one surface of the panel, a pillar extending from the head to be inserted into the attachment hole, a pair of elastic legs which are folded back at a tip portion of the pillar toward the head and spreading in a V shape, and locking parts formed outside the elastic leg in shapes of multiple steps. Here, one side in a width direction inside the elastic leg protrudes toward the pillar more than another side, and a portion of the pillar facing a protruded portion of the elastic leg is dented so as to receive the protruded portion of the elastic leg.
According to the above-described first aspect, one side of the elastic leg protrudes toward the pillar, and a dent is formed on the pillar for receiving the protruded portion. For this reason, the elastic leg becomes less interfering with the pillar when the elastic leg is flexed inward, whereby it is possible to contract the elastic leg smaller in diameter. Moreover, it is possible to secure a sufficient thickness for the elastic leg by use of the portion which enters the dent of the pillar, whereby it is possible to form the locking parts into shapes of multiple steps so that the resin clip is adaptable to a plurality of panels with various board thicknesses. In addition, the pillar is not entirely thinned but is formed into a shape where only one part thereof is dented. Accordingly, strength of the pillar can be maintained. Furthermore, a width of the elastic leg is secured as wide as possible so that only one side of the elastic leg is rendered protruding to enter the dent of the pillar. Accordingly, strength of the elastic leg can be also maintained.
Moreover, a second aspect of the present invention is the resin clip according to the first aspect, in which only one side at a tip side of the elastic leg corresponding to the protruded portion in the width direction of the elastic leg extends and becomes narrower in the width thereof, and the locking parts are formed into multiple steps throughout a wide portion of the elastic leg at a base end side thereof and a narrow portion at the tip side thereof.
According to the above-described aspect, it is possible to substantially contract the elastic leg in diameter such that the narrowed side of the elastic leg is buried in the dented portion of the pillar. In the meantime, strength of the elastic leg can be also maintained by widening the elastic leg on the base end side thereof. Moreover, by securing a sufficient thickness from the tip side of the elastic leg to the base end side thereof, the number of the steps of the locking parts can be increased as many as necessary.
A third aspect of the present invention is the resin clip according to the first aspect, in which a boundary between the dented portion and an undented portion of the pillar and/or a boundary between the protruded portion and an unprotruded portion inside the elastic leg form cross sections of tapered shapes.
According to the above-described third aspect, the protruded portion of the elastic leg can be prevented from interfering with the stepped portion of the pillar by jamming when the elastic leg is flexed inward, whereby the elastic leg can be surely contracted in diameter. In addition, the width of the protruded portion of the elastic leg is secured as wide as possible, whereby strength of the elastic leg can be maintained.
A fourth aspect of the present invention is to provide the resin clip according to the first aspect, in which a centerline in a thickness direction of a cross section of the pillar forms an approximately straight line at a tip portion of the pillar, and the centerline forms a shape largely bent as a step in mid-course along with approaching toward the base end portion of the pillar.
According to the present invention, it is possible to form the dented portion on one side so as to allow the protruded portion inside the elastic leg to be inserted thereinto while maintaining the thickness of the pillar constant from the tip portion to the base end portion thereof. Therefore, it is possible to form the dented portion while maintaining sufficient strength of the pillar.
In the present invention, it is preferable that the head is composed of a flange spreading out like a skirt toward a direction of the pillar, and notches are formed in multiple positions on a periphery of the flange. In this way, the flange can elastically support the panel by sandwiching. In addition, it is possible to secure an elastic flexure amount sufficiently with the notches provided on the periphery of the flange.